Reading the Chunksters discussion
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Gone with the Wind
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Gone with the wind, Week 6 - Chapter 19-23
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Still reading, but I had to post the following:http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisene...
#13 directly applies to this read, however, I chuckled at most of them. Still, I feel that the Rhett Butler controller is very astute!
Nice! I also giggled a lot at the breakdown of Murakami's books and the Hemingway strip. Good stuff.But back to Gone... *spoiler* why did Rhett decide to leave Scarlett on the road to Tara? Hmmm... I love that I haven't seen the movie and have no clue what is going to happen.
I'm torn on Rhett's leaving. I think it's either that he has something selfish to go and do - not join the army, or, he leaves her so that later in the book he can sweep back in and save the day. I'm totally jaded. And Andrea - I'm with you. I've never read the book or see the movie, so I'm enjoying that I have no idea what's going to happen.
Finally catching up, but still a week behind. "Mistress! What would I get out if that but a passel of brats!" This has to be my favorite line in the whole book so far. I cannot honestly believe that Rhett would think Scarlett would take the deal. I am absolutely sure he wanted her to but also equally sure it was both to annoy her and to warn her that he is going to he more seductive in the future.
I've never seen the movie or read the book either so it's all new to me!
I think Rhett left because he hates bullies. He was bullied into his way Of life by strict morals and the bullying Southern aristocracy, but the retreating army is nothing but young boys and old, old men. He doesn't strike me as the type if person that would or would allow a bully to strike a wounded animal. So, I don't think he is going back for the Cause, and he still thinks glory and honor are stupid motions, but he has to go back because he knows he can help something that's hurt. I think that the kid really got to him, he is always so nice to Wade, and when he saw that young boy too exhausted to carry on he knew he had to help. Rhett has his own Code.
Rhett definitely has his own code. That much is for sure. I haven't completely unraveled him yet. I know we haven't seen the last of him, so I'm really interested to see how that plays out.
Becky -- I agree, and I like your reading of it. Even when he was hitting that poor old horse to get them out of town, I feel like I remember one of them being described as "merciful."It's strange, though, because Rhett gets into a funk when Scarlett says she's glad he didn't join the army. And he goes into the speech about how they're both selfish and that's why they're made for one another.
In addition, I also think that he just enjoys doing the exact opposite of what is expected of him. She has it written down in her head that he hates the Cause and would never join, so that's exactly what he's going to do -- join.
I also think "Passel of Brats" would be an excellent band name.
This might be terrible, but have any of you seen Firefly the television show? I wonder how much Rhett went into making Captain Mal's character...
Becky - haven't seen the show, but I suspect that now that I've read GWTW I will see Rhett and Scarlett in a lot of popular characters.
Becky, I can see the similarities, but ultimately, I think they're really different characters. For one, Mal doesn't have the (possibly affected) air of superiority that I think Rhett does. For instance, Rhett does things to shock people, and to be roguish, just to be roguish and shocking. Whereas Mal doesn't have the luxury of that. He acts according to his own code, and if you don't like it, that's your problem.(I have to admit, I gasped at the comparison. I love Captain Reynolds SO much, in a very loveable cast of characters. In GWTW, I feel a lot of the reason I like Rhett is that he takes Scarlett down a peg, rather than his own innate likeability.)
Becky wrote: "Finally catching up, but still a week behind. "Mistress! What would I get out if that but a passel of brats!" This has to be my favorite line in the whole book so far. I cannot honestly believe tha..."I don't know that he really expected her to accept the offer... I think he said it to shock her and to see how she'd respond...and perhaps to plant a seed for later? He keeps testing her boundaries, pushing her a little further each time.
I do think their banter is wonderful: it's so shockingly honest that you can't help but like it, even if it's clear Rhett is a terrible rogue.
The whole scene with the baby and Melanie and Scarlett is so interesting. Scarlett has to be completely in charge for a change, has to think outside the box, but she gets it done. And Rhett, though he didn't sweep in to save the day until she actually sent for him, comes into the picture only when Scarlett has exhausted every other possible resource. I think that shows a lot of growth on her part in this period of time. Granted, she's only doing good for Melanie because of promises she made to the doctor and to Ashley.... but the fact is, she DOESN'T leave Melanie, even when she has several opportunities and certainly good motive.
I think I might be reading it a different way. He left because he loves her. She is still just a child and he wants to make sure that when he acts on her desire she wants him because she really wants him. Not in the way that she was looking at him now where she wanted him to protect her as if he were father.Not in the way where he is there and Ashley is not so she can settle for him. But in a way where is a fully functional grown-up who is making the best choice for herself and her child.
She is still seeing the worlds as Yankees vs Southerners and I think he is trying to teach her that things are not that cut and dry.
Scarlett going to Jonesboro to be near her family. If she was more logical she would ignore that but she is going to her code. By making her complete the journey on her own he is making her take responsibility for her own decisions.
There is also the possibility that he cannot be seen by one of these armies due to prior dealings and so he empowers her to carry on while he finds his own way to Jonesboro safely. Which as he said is somewhat selfish but it is to the benefit of them both. Scarlett has the power to get her own way but she usually uses others to do her bidding so this forces her to grow up. Big time.
(I haven't seen the movie either so I have idea what is going to happen.)
Haven't finished this section yet, but I am enjoying watching Scarlett come into her own. You can sense that she doesn't want to - that she would really prefer someone to come and take care of her, but she does really take charge of Melly's delivery and seems to be stepping up to make decisions about what to do with the Yankees coming into Atlanta. Now, her solution is to go get Rhett and have him take care of it, but you can see her start to stretch out a bit.